It's Not Just Genetics

The rise in childhood obesity is a single problem with a whole lot of causes. Like any epidemic, it hits some groups hard and leaves others mostly alone. Which group your family belongs to depends on income, ethnicity, geography and more

You're a native-American baby born into the Oglala Sioux tribe, living on the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota. There are a lot of things that are going to make life a challenge for you, but one of the most perilous will be your weight. Chances are very good that your parents already have a weight problem; obesity is rampant in the 30,000-member community, and half the residents over the age of 40 have Type 2 diabetes. Their genes--and yours, of course--are part of the problem: researchers theorize that Native Americans have...